Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पुरी द्वारवतीं त्यक्त्वा अत्रैव वसते हरिः । तस्यौर्ध्वदैहिकं देवि प्रकरोमि युगेयुगे

Transliteration

purī dvāravatīṃ tyaktvā atraiva vasate hariḥ | tasyaurdhvadaihikaṃ devi prakaromi yugeyuge

Translation

Ayant quitté la cité de Dvāravatī, Hari demeure ici même. Ô Déesse, pour Lui j’accomplis les rites ūrdhvadaihika (postfunéraires) d’âge en âge.

Word by Word

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvāravatī (Dwaraka)
• द्वारवतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphasis/particle)

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वदैहिकम्: post-funeral rite (ūrdhvadaihika)
• ऊर्ध्वदैहिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + दैहिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दैहिकस्य ऊर्ध्वम्/दैहिककर्मणः ऊर्ध्वम्)

• देवि: O goddess/dear lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकरोमि: I perform
• प्रकरोमि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• युगे: (in) each age
• युगे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Hari’s abiding after leaving Dvāravatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn coastal grove at Prabhāsa: Hari’s presence implied (either as a serene standing Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa or as a radiant absence), while a divine officiant performs ūrdhvadaihika rites—fire, water libations, piṇḍas—suggesting yuga-cycles through repeating circular motifs (kalacakra).

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context)
• Ūrdhvadaihika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine līlā sanctifies place and ritual: Prabhāsa is affirmed as Hari’s seat and as a locus for dharmic rites tied to cosmic history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, contrasted with Dvāravatī, as the place where Hari is said to dwell.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ūrdhvadaihika—post-death/after-funeral rites (śrāddha-related observances) performed for Hari, recurring across ages.